Edgar Filing: VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC

Verizon Communications Inc.

(Registrant)

January 30, 2014

/s/ William L. Horton, Jr.

William L. Horton, Jr.

      Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel

          and Corporate Secretary

Form 8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report: January 28, 2014

(Date of earliest event reported)

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

1-8606

23-2259884

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation)

(Commission File Number)

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

140 West Street

New York, New York

10007

(Address of principal executive

offices)

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 395-1000

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

x Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

Verizon Communications Inc. (Verizon) held a Special Meeting of Shareholders on January 28, 2014. The number of common shares present at the meeting was 2,422,777,147, which was 84.65% of the common shares outstanding on December 9, 2013, the record date for the meeting.

At the meeting, the following items were submitted to a vote of shareholders.

(a)

The proposal regarding the issuance of up to 1.28 billion shares of Verizon common stock to Vodafone Group Plc (Vodafone) ordinary shareholders in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the stock purchase agreement entered into in connection with the acquisition of Vodafone’s 45% interest in Verizon Wireless was approved with 1,838,723,706 votes for, 51,082,140 votes against, 15,500,583 abstentions and 517,470,718 broker non-votes.

(b)

The proposal to amend Article 4(A) of Verizon’s restated certificate of incorporation to increase Verizon’s authorized shares of common stock by 2 billion shares to an aggregate of 6.25 billion authorized shares of common stock was approved with 2,306,404,218 votes for, 93,414,513 votes against and 22,958,416 abstentions.

(c)

The proposal to adjourn the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional votes and proxies if there are insufficient votes at the time of the special meeting to approve the share issuance proposal or the charter amendment proposal was approved with 2,143,426,281 votes for, 252,813,464 votes against and 26,537,402 abstentions.

Item 8.01 Other Items.

The information set forth under Item 5.07 is incorporated into this Item 8.01 by reference.

Advertisement

This communication is deemed an advertisement for the purposes of the U.K. prospectus rules and is not a prospectus or a prospectus equivalent document. Any decision to subscribe for, purchase, otherwise acquire, sell or otherwise dispose of any Verizon Communications Inc. shares must be made only on the basis of the information contained in and incorporated by reference into the U.K. prospectus published by Verizon in connection with the proposed transaction with Vodafone Group Plc. Copies of the U.K. prospectus are available from Verizon’s registered offices and on Verizon’s website at www.verizon.com/investor/shareownersservices.

Forward-Looking Statements

In this communication we have made forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our estimates and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include the information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations. Forward-looking statements also include those preceded or followed by the words “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “hopes” or similar expressions. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following important factors, along with those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), could affect future results and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements: the ability to realize the expected benefits of our proposed transaction with Vodafone in the timeframe expected or at all; the ability to complete the Vodafone transaction in the timeframe expected or at all and the costs that could be required to do so; failure to satisfy any closing conditions to the Vodafone transaction or events giving rise to termination of the transaction agreement; an adverse change in the ratings afforded our debt securities by nationally accredited ratings organizations or adverse conditions in the credit markets affecting the cost, including interest rates, and/or availability of further financing; significantly increased levels of indebtedness as a result of the Vodafone transaction; changes in tax laws or treaties, or in their interpretation; adverse conditions in the U.S. and international economies; material adverse changes in labor matters, including labor negotiations, and any resulting financial and/or operational impact; material changes in technology or technology substitution; disruption of our key suppliers’ provisioning of products or services; changes in the regulatory environment in which we operate, including any increase in restrictions on our ability to operate our networks; breaches of network or information technology security, natural disasters, terrorist attacks or acts of war or significant litigation and any resulting financial impact not covered by insurance; the effects of competition in the markets in which we operate; changes in accounting assumptions that regulatory agencies, including the SEC, may require or that result from changes in the accounting rules or their application, which could result in an impact on earnings; significant increases in benefit plan costs or lower investment returns on plan assets; and the inability to implement our business strategies.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval nor shall there be any offer or sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements thereof.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

Verizon Communications Inc. has filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a prospectus with respect to the Verizon securities to be offered in the proposed transaction with Vodafone (the “prospectus”). Verizon also filed with the SEC a proxy statement with respect to the special meeting of the Verizon shareholders held on January 28, 2014 in connection with the proposed transaction (the “proxy statement”). The registration statement on Form S-4 was declared effective by the SEC on December 10, 2013. Verizon mailed the prospectus to certain Vodafone shareholders and the proxy statement to Verizon shareholders on or about December 11, 2013. VODAFONE SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY THE PROSPECTUS AND VERIZON SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY THE PROXY STATEMENT, EACH TOGETHER WITH OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC, IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and shareholders can obtain free copies of the prospectus, the proxy statement and other documents filed with the SEC by the parties through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and shareholders can obtain free copies of the prospectus, the proxy statement and other documents filed with the SEC by Verizon by contacting Verizon’s Assistant Corporate Secretary, Verizon Communications Inc., 140 West Street, 29th Floor, New York, New York 10007. These materials are also available on Verizon’s website at www.verizon.com/investor.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.